Record card aligning device for statistical machines



n y l N v Sept' 7 1943 E. BUHLER ETAL RECORD CARD ALIGNING DEVICE FOR STATISTICAL MACHINES Filed Deo. 9, 1942 ORNE Y Q WN ATT Patented Sept. 7, 1943 RECORD CARD ALIGNING DEVICE FOR STATISTICAL MACHINES Eugen Buhler, Binghamton, N. Y., and David W.

Rubidge, Chatham, N. J., assignors to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 9, 1942, Serial No. 468,360

1 Claim.

This invention relates to machines in which record cards are fed from a supply hopper to instrumentalities which record data on the cards or derive data from the cards. Such cards are provided with columns of data receiving positions, which columns are spaced apart so that, as the cards are fed in the direction of the columns, the instrumentalities which are similarly spaced will cooperate with their respective columns.

The record cards are made of paper stock which is subject to atmospheric conditions so that Where excessive moisture is present, an expansion of the card occurs with the result that the space between the extreme card columns is greater than when the cards are relatively drier and the column spacing does not conform exactly to the spacing of the instrumentalities with which the columns are to cooperate in their passage through the machine.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an aligning device which acts upon the cards prior to their cooperation with the recording or sensing instrumentalities, to centralize the card with respect thereto so that any undue expansion or contraction will be equally divided on both sides of the center of the card thus minimizing any misalignment of the end columns with their respective instrumentalities. The amount of misalignment usually occurring is well Within allowable tolerances, but it is desirable that such be reduced as much as possible.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplated,`of applying that principle.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary section through a punching machine showing the manner in which the aligning device is incorporated therein.

Fig. 2 is a view of the aligning device looking from the left of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and l are diagrams showing the principles of the aligning action.

The punching machine employed for purposes of illustration is similar to that shown in Patent No. 2,224,761 granted December 10., 1940 to A. H. Dickinson et; al. and its operation will therefore be but briefly explained.

It comprises a record card magazine or supply hopper M from which the cards are fed singly by the card feeding means comprising in part the card Picker 4'I and 48 and actuating arm 46 with operating cams 42 and 43 therefor, to feed rollers B0 and 8| to the usual card stacker, not shown. Interposed between rollers 80 and 8| is shown one type of card recording means, for example, the punch plungers and control magnets 66 therefor.

The punch plungers B5, arranged in a row (Fig. 2) with one for each ofthe usual columns of the card, are located at a greater distance from the card magazine than in the patent referred to in order to provide the necessary space to accommodate the aligning device.

The magnets 66 upon energization select associated plungers 65 so that during the operation of the operating bar B'I, the bar depresses or cperates all the selected plungers and thereby effects perforation of the record card. It is well known that an individual plunger 65 and controlling magnet 63 are provided for each card column and that all the selected plungers are depressed for all columns simultaneously, and that various positions along the several columns may be perforated.

More detailed explanation of the card feeding and punching mechanism may be found in the patent referred to and also in reissue Patent No. 21,133 dated June 27, 1939.

Shaft 34 corresponds to the similarly identified shaft in Patent No. 2,224,761 and makes one revolution for each card fed from the magazine M. This shaft carries a gear I0 which through an idler II drives a gear I2 on a shaft I3. The gear I2 meshes with suitable gears for driving the rollers 8G and the ratio is such that for each revolution of shaft I3 a new card I4 is in position between the central pair of rollers as shown in Fig. 1. When each card is in such position, the aligning operation is effected through the mechanism now to be described.

A frame I5 pivoted at I6 on a bracket I'I carries a plate I8 at its upper end which projects above the plane of card I4 and extends in the direction of the path of movement of the card. At the opposite side of the card is an equal lengthened frame |50. pivoted at Ita to a bracket IIa and having a plate Ia at its upper extremity. The pivots I6 and I6a, lie in a horizontal plane parallel to the plane of travel of the card I4, so that the distance from pivot I6 to the point where plate I8 engages the card edge is exactly the same as the distance from pivot IIa to the point Where plate Ia engages the opposite card edge.

At a point I9 of frame I5 there is pivoted one end of a link 20 whose other end is pivoted at 2l to a depending arm of frame |50.. The distance between points II and I9 is the same as the distance between points ISct and 2l and the angle formed by a linethrough points Iii and I9 with a line through point I5, and the point at which I8 engages card I4 is the same as they angle formed by a line through points IGa and ZI with the extension of a line through point Iia and the point at which Ia engages card I 4, so that, within a small radius, any rocking of frame Ii about its pivot IS will be accompanied by rocking of the frame I 5a to the same extent in the opposite direction.

A spring 22 attached to link 2t tends to urge frame lea counterclockwise and frame clockwise. The frame I5 carries a roller 23 in cooperative relationship with a face cam 24 mounted on shaft I3. During the greater part of the rotation of the cam its high cam portion holds roller 23 toward the left as viewed in Fig. 2 i. e. it holds frame I5 in a position as diagrammatically represented in Fig. 3 and through link 2li the frame I5a is also rocked as shown. Thus the upper end plates i8 and ISa are held away from the card edges.

When the card is in the position of Fig, l, roller 23 drops into a low part of cam Ell whereupon spring 22 is free to rock the frames l5 and Ii'ia to bring plates I8 and |811 against the edges of the card i4. The tension of spring 3 is divided equally between the two frames so that they engage the card with equal force and if at the time the card is slightly to the left or right as viewed in Fig. 2 it will be brought to a central position and momentarily guided therein as it passes to the last pair of feed rollers 8G. The central pair of feed rollers 5E, which engage the card at this time and advance it do not grip .the card suflciently to interfere with any sidevfise motion imparted to it by the plate i8 or ma. Fig. 4 shows in the same diagrammatic manner as Fig. 3 the position of the parts when the card is centralized.

From an inspection of the diagrams (Figs. 3

and Ll) it will be noted that whether card III is slightly longer or shorter than the one in position in Fig. 4, the frames l5, ita will nevertheless eiect a centralization thereof with respect to the row of plungers S5.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modication, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claim.

What is claimed is:

In a machine of the class described having a record card hopper, a row of elements with which the cards are to cooperate, and means for feeding the cards singly and in succession from the hopper to said row or elements, said means including pairs of feed rollers intermediate the hopper and row of elements, the combination with means for centralizing each card separately with respect to said row of elements while the card is passing through the feed rollers, comprising a pair of pivoted levers, one spaced from each edge of the card and parallel to the direction of movement of the card, the levers being fixedly pivoted in a plane parallel to the plane of travel of the card and equal in length, a linl; directly connecting the levers on opposite sides of their pivots whereby movement of either will be accompanied by equal and opposite movement of the other, a roller carried by one of the levers, a cani directly cooperating with said roller, a single spring acting upon the levers and link to rock the levers directly against the edges of the card to centraline it, said cam being congured to release the roller to enable said spring to act at the same time for each card fed.

EUGEN EUHLER.

DAVD iff. RUBIDGE. 

